Abstract: A beverage concentrate container includes an integrally connected piston pump as a concentrate dosing unit. The container and piston pump are insertable into rigid support within a beverage dispenser cabinet for mechanical interconnection with a drive mechanism for the pump. The container and pump combination (syrup package) are fabricated from materials which are disposable.

Abstract: In a domestic appliance such as a washer, dishwasher, dryer, beverage preparation device or the like having several control circuits driven by varying voltage supplies, the input control circuit is supplied with a relatively low voltage and is electrically isolated from higher voltages within the circuitry of the appliance. An optical isolator is provided in the communication channel between the input control circuit and a power control circuit which is connected to circuit elements connected to the A.C. line voltage. The low voltage supply driving the input control circuit is also isolated from the A.C. line voltage. All operator accessible components are coupled to the input control circuit and are therefore isolated from the A.C. line voltage.

Abstract: In a post-mix beverage dispenser a heat conducting plate assembly couples the bottom wall of a carbonator tank to the side walls of beverage concentrate storage tanks for the bi-directional transfer of heat therebetween. The cold temperature of the carbonator tank including an ice bank therein chills the concentrate to help achieve a suitable serving temperature of a finished drink. The higher temperature of the concentrate helps warm the bottom area of the carbonator tank in the region of an outlet opening to preclude freezing of carbonated water in the outlet opening.

Abstract: A cooktop includes an at least partially transparent surface being formed of glass or glass ceramic and having burner regions with peripheral and inner portions. Heating elements are disposed beneath the surface in the vicinity of the burner regions. A lighting apparatus visually indicates heating of the surface exceeding a predetermined temperature at which the surface is permitted to be touched. The lighting apparatus has a temperature-dependent switch thermally coupled to the surface and light devices controlled by the switch. Each of the light devices is disposed in one of the portions of a respective one of the burner regions.

Abstract: A drive system for side-by-side piston pumps connected to beverage concentrate containers in a post-mix beverage dispenser system is described. An electric motor rotates a drive shaft in either a forward or reverse direction for the selective actuation of one or the other of the piston pumps. First and second hollow shafts are concentrically disposed around the drive shaft, one hollow shaft being mechanically coupled through a cam and lever arrangement to each of the piston pumps. Free-wheeling clutches are provided between the drive shaft and each of the respective hollow shafts such that one hollow shaft is coupled to rotate with the drive shaft in the forward direction of rotation of the drive shaft and the other hollow shaft is coupled to rotate with the drive shaft in the reverse direction of rotation of the drive shaft.

Abstract: A stove with pyrolytic self-cleaning includes an oven having a cooking chamber to be heated and pyrolytically self-cleaned. An automatic pyrolysis system recognizes a limit value for soiling and controls pyrolytic self-cleaning. The automatic pyrolysis system includes a limit value comparator and a pyrolysis trigger connected to the limit value comparator.

Abstract: A refrigeration unit, especially a refrigerator or the like, includes a useful space. At least one container at least partially occupies the useful space for storing perishables. A device lowers pressure prevailing in the at least one container by partial aspiration of a remaining air volume surrounding the perishables. A device fills the at least one container with a gas atmosphere for increasing the storage life of the stored perishables.

Abstract: A rigid foam, especially a largely closed-cell polyurethane or polyisocyanurate rigid foam, includes a cell structure being formed by the expansion of rigid foam raw materials with carbon dioxide as an inflating agent. The cell structure is substantially homogeneous and has a cell content of substantially CO.sub.2 inflating agent and proportions of a physical inflating agent being at least substantially insoluble in at least one of the rigid foam raw materials. A process for producing a rigid foam having a cell structure formed by the expansion of rigid foam raw materials with carbon dioxide includes forming a fine-celled rigid foam material by preparing an inflating agent being at least substantially insoluble in at least one of the rigid foam raw materials. The inflating agent is homogeneously emulsified in at least one of the rigid foam raw materials prior to the beginning of a chemical reaction, in the form of the disperse phase of an emulsion having a liquid droplet size being at most equal to 10 .mu.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling the contents of a vessel in which refrigerant is passed through pipelines placed as a coil alongside the outer wall of the vessel, the pipelines in the areas of the starting end and of the finishing end of the coil are fastened upon the vessel by clamping elements and laid under tensile stress alongside the vessel.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for regulating the filling and refilling of containers with liquids, such as a carbonator vessel, and comprises a liquid container and an electronic circuit for reading the liquid level in the container at a single level and generating a level signal corresponding to the liquid level sensed, and in the event the level falls below a predetermined level, causes a flow regulator controlled by a timer to provide a refilling with an overshoot so as to permit the liquid level to rise to a second predetermined level above the first predetermined level so that the volume of the head space and pressure within the container is held substantially constant.

Abstract: A control apparatus for heating, defrosting and/or cooking foods to be heat-treated by exposure to microwave energy at a given location inside a closed cooking chamber includes a microwave generator beaming microwave energy into the cooking chamber, and a sensor detecting the state of the food and controlling the energy beamed into the cooking chamber. The sensor is disposed in the cooking chamber filled with microwave energy between the microwave generator and the given location for food exposed to microwave energy, for detecting a value for microwave energy potential and controlling the output of the microwave generator.

Abstract: A baking oven includes at least one boundary wall defining a baking space and at least one lighting device each including a first part in the form of a low-voltage bulb, a second part in the form of an electrical connection for the bulb, and a lamp socket disposed on the at least one boundary wall. The lamp socket receives the bulb from inside the baking space with the bulb protruding substantially completely into the baking space. The boundary wall has an opening formed therein for receiving and closely surrounding one of the parts of the lighting device.

Abstract: A lighting device for household appliances such as ovens, includes an electric lamp socket formed of electrically insulating material preventing leakage currents. Contact parts are disposed in the socket. The socket has an access side with a plug-in opening formed therein into which a lamp with a glass bulb, a lamp base of insulating material and contact prongs protruding from the lamp base is to be plugged into contact with the contact parts in a given plug-in direction. An electrically conductive and protectively grounded protective element covers at least the access side of the lamp socket and extends to the vicinity of at least one of the glass bulb and the lamp base. The protective element and the contact parts are spaced apart by a distance being greater than the length of the contact prongs by a required margin of safety, as seen in the given plug-in direction.

Abstract: A lighting device for an oven, in particular a household oven, includes a baking chamber with a wall to be exposed to microwave energy, a lamp socket protruding freely into the baking chamber without a microwave shielding covering, electrical connecting lines supplying the lamp socket with current from outside the baking chamber, and an incandescent bulb with a lamp base and an incandescent filament with an incandescent coil being mounted on the lamp socket. An electrically conductive disk is substantially parallel to and electrically conductively connected to the baking chamber wall. The disk has a duct opening formed therein for the lamp base, and the disk surrounds the incandescent filament in the vicinity of the incandescent coil.

Abstract: A device for controlling electrical consuming devices in ovens includes a function control device which can be adjusted for the control of function cycles, an evaluation circuit, a manually operated function selector switch for adjusting the function control device through a binary code connection, special manually operated input elements directly assigned to the function control device also operating for adjusting the function control device, the evaluation circuit being disposed in the function selector device for receiving the binary signals provided by the function selector switch which, upon the change of at least one of the binary codes, causes a resetting criterion for the function commands entered through the input elements.

Abstract: A heating element for thermal household appliances includes an inherently stable carrier element having a heating surface in close thermal contact with a substance to be heated, and at least one heating resistor in the form of at least one flat heating conductor strip supported by and closely thermally coupled to the carrier element.

Abstract: An oven has a baking space wall at least partly defining a closed baking chamber to be acted upon by microwave energy with a given basic microwave frequency capable of being radiated into the baking space with a given wavelength. A lighting device for the oven includes a bulb holder, an incandescent bulb mounted on the bulb holder and protruding freely into the baking space from the baking space wall without electromagnetic shielding, and electrical connection lines supplying the incandescent bulb with current from outside the baking chamber. The incandescent bulb has a glass bulb, incandescent filament holders of equal length extending substantially, parallel and alongside one another, and an incandescent filament disposed between ends of the incandescent filament holders in the glass bulb. The filament has a longitudinal extension within which all spacings between given points along the incandescent filament are equivalent to a maximum of 10% of the given wavelength.